Effects of Sex and Size on Home Range, Dominance, and Activity Budgets in Ameiva exsul (Lacertilia: Teiidae)

• Published in: Herpetologica Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 374 - 383
• Main Authors: Lewis, Allen R., Saliva, Jorge E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Johnson, TN Herpetologists' League 01-09-1987
• Subjects: Ameiva exsul; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body size; Demecology; Female animals; Foraging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herpetology; Lizards; Male animals; Mating behavior; Reptilia. Amphibia; Summer; Territoriality; Vertebrata; Terrestrial environment; Central America; Puerto Rico; Home range; West Indies; Sex; Vertebrata; Animal activity; Sauria; Social dominance; Body size; America; Reptilia; Animal population
• ISSN: 0018-0831; 1938-5099

Effects of sex and body size on home range, dominance, and activity budgets of the Puerto Rican teiid Ameiva exsul, a widely foraging non-territorial lizard, were studied using census and focal animal techniques at a site in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Average home range area for males significantly exceeded that for females, but males were larger than females. With the effect of body size removed statistically, there was no intersexual difference in home range area even though males engaged in significantly more non-foraging walking than females. The dominance hierarchy was size-based and independent of sex. Proportion of time spent basking was the same for three size classes. Digging and feeding were significantly correlated in large lizards and independent in small lizards.